Fence-post.



No. 722,474. PATENTED MAR. 10 W. B. WHERRY & J. B. HILL. j

,FENCE 'PSIZ APPLICATIONv FILED DEU. z, 1901.

N0 MODEL'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. WHERRY'AND JAMES B. HILL, OF OVERTON, TEXAS.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATIONA forming part of 'Letters 'Patent No. 722,474, dated March 10, 1903.

Y Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial Nor 84,342.` (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be itknown that we, WILLIAM B. WHEREY and J AMES B. HILL, citizens of the United States,and residents of Overton in the county of Rusk and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

Our invention relates to improvements in fence-posts; and one object that we have in view is the provision of an improved construction of the base which is adapted to be buried in the ground, said base serving to hold the post against vertical displacement or in an up or down direction in the ground, as well as to overcome any tendency to lean over to an inclined position.

A further object is to provide an improved post which possesses the requisites of simplicity and strength of construction and cheapness of manufacture.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the combination and construction of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of awire fence employing our improved fencepost, a portion of the ground being broken away around the base of one of the posts.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the improved post, the upper part of the latter being broken away. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the members or parts comprising the post and the improved base, the parts being separated or detached one from the other. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the base of the post in the plane indicated by the dot; ted line 4 4 on Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

The post 5 is provided with any suitable means for fastening the series of line-wires thereto-such, for example, as a slotted bar, which is partly shown in Fig. 3;l but as the wire-fastening means do not form a part of the present invention we do not consider it necessary to particularly show or describe the same herein.

We will now proceed to describe the improved construction of the base that is adapted toY be buried in the ground and is intended to hold the post so securely in place that it will not be accidentally displaced in an up or vdown direction nor will it :lean from a perpendicular to an inclined position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown by the drawings the angle-bar post 5 is made of such length as to form a part of the base, and said post is bent at a point intermediate of its length, (indicated at 5%) so as to produce one member of the base, (indicated at 5b.) IThe remaining members of the base are formed by metallic bars 14 and 15, preferably two in number and each in the form of an angle-bar, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4. The members 5", 14, and 15, forming the base, are disposed in downwardly-diverging order and in triangular relation, the open sides of the angular bar mem- `bers facing each other, as shown by Fig. 5.

The upper converging ends of the members forming the base are disposed in overlapping relation and are firmly secured one to the other by means of bolts, screws, or rivets 16, which pass through suitable openings 17, provided in the member 5" of the post, and the openings 18, formed in the upper ends of the base members 14 15.

19 designates a series of foot-plates, which are provided with the upstanding webs 20, having the perforations l 21. These footplates are disposed in triangular relation one to the other at the lowerl extremity of the base, and the perforated webs of these plates are arranged to overlap the members of the base in order that the perforations 21 of each foot-plate may register with openings 22, which are formed in the angle-bar members of the base, whereby each foot-plate may be secured by rivets, bolts, or screws 23 to the members of the base.' Y

The parts comprising the improved base are very simple, strong, and durable, they can be assembled easily and quickly together, and the entire post may be manufactured at a moderate cost. The triangular arrangement of the members forming the base and the downward divergence of the base members impart a tapered form to the base which prevents it from turning in the ground, thus holding the post in the position to which it ICO may be adj usted. The employment of anglebars in the manufacture of the members and the arrangement of the foot-plates tend to overcome any tendency of the post to have vertical movement 'in the ground-that is to say, the post cannot be pulled in an upward direction by the action of the wires, and it will not sink by its own weight and gravity into the soil. Furthermore, the construction of the base and the employment of the angular foot-plates minimize any tendency of the post to lean from a perpendicular to an inclined position.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl 1. A fence-post having a tapering base formed by iianged upwardly-converging angular members disposed in cross-sectionally triangular relation, and angular footplates secured to the flanged portions of said members and connecting them rinly at theirlower ends, one foot-plate being secured on each side or face of the base.

2. A fence-post having a base formed by upwardlyconverging flanged portions, the flanges on adjacent members at each side of the base of the post lying in the same plane and in edgewise opposing relation, and footplates secured to the flanged portions of said members, and disposed on the several sides of the base, one of said foot-plates being secured to each side of the base and each footplate being angular in cross-section and arranged to extend in a direction substantially at right angles t-o the flanged members.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM B.WHERRY. JAMES B. HILL. Witnesses:

J. B. MULLIKIN, J. W. ALFORD. 

